Yesterday

Yes, yesterday I wrote about my neighbor's chickens, and the saga surrounding their attempt to survive under some very adverse circumstances, including an attack from a roaming dog.  They've come and they've gone.  Just exactly how long this experiment continues is anybodies guess.

As I was winding down yesterday's blog I mentioned one of the chickens got into my back yard and that I was going to ignore her until she found her way back home. Of course in the end I could not mind my own business and I was eventually able to corner this particular hen, and I think I said "flopped her back over the fence".
 

I also mentioned I could be like 'birdlady' was with me and go confront my neighbor and demand they keep the chickens on their side of the fence, and even threaten them that I'm going to report them to the health department.  Frankly, it's not my nature to do that, and I don't care they have chickens, but I can't have them coming into my yard because I don't want my doggy to chase and eat them.  Zorro lives with them quite nicely as long as the fence is between them.

So, yesterday morning, after I was done working I decided to do something with my fence instead.  First I went out back to see how much fencing I was going to need to fill the gap from where his fence ended and where the end of the property line is.  I discovered a four foot patch job was too short, and a five foot patch job just a tad to long.  I opted for a five foot repair job.

Next, I waltz myself into my garage and looked for and searched out my leftover, everyday variety, collapsible fencing, I put around my front yard a couple of years ago.  By golly, I not only had five feet, I had well over that, am I a lucky son of a gun or what?  I take a screwdriver and pry open the end of the fencing that measured exactly at the five foot mark and took it out to my picket fence to study how to attach this metal hunk to the top of it.  Hmmm.  I tried a simple weaving in and out trick, but it looked awful, and I could tell it would never stay in place.  Then I thought I would (like my neighbor) use my art/crafters wire and attach it that way. But close inspection of his wire told me that would not work, as his was already rusting away.

WAIT   A    MINUTE!

Just last year, while on a shopping spree I bought a package of bungee cords.  It contained a wide variety of sizes and colors of cords so I rummaged through the package and lo, I found six that were exactly the same size and color, and thought "whoa doggies, these just might work."

I put my fencing on top of my picket fence, and working from the middle outward, I was able to wrap the bungee cords around my pickets and the part of the metal fencing that should have been pressed into the ground. DA DA.  This technique worked like a charm.  Actually, I still can't believe that it did.  I'm a very happy camper.

Now, here's the thing.  Remember when I said chickens aren't dumb creatures.  You should have seen them yesterday.  I have to say I had quite the audience while I was preforming my magic.  They watched with great curiosity what I was doing.  I told them not to be offended, it was nothing personal I was going to deny them access to my back yard, I was simply trying to protect them from....well....you know.

There you have it, I've averted a problem before it even had a chance to be one.  Sometimes I amaze myself. Excuse me while I go pat myself on the back.